On My Own
by Mrs. Spiderman Penguin
Summary: Only weeks before she is set to depart for Yale University, 18 year old Teddy Duncan discovers that she is pregnant with Spencer's baby. Not wanting to uproot her family from their lives, she runs away to Las Vegas to create a life for herself and her unborn childhood. (I uploaded this on the wrong account by mistake, this is the real copy!)
1. Chapter 1

**So this is _really _awkward. But I uploaded this story on my friend's account yesterday by mistake... Kind of funny, but also annoying lol. So this is my submission for NaNoWriMo 2014. All of my other stories will be updated after this one is finished, because I need to focus on getting this to 50k by November 30th. Don't expect updates every day, but on days I do update, there should be multiple chapter updates. I don't have computer access every day, so yeah. I hope you guys enjoy it! Sorry about the confusion on uploading it on the wrong account! She shouldn't have been logged in on my computer! Lol**

**I don't own Good Luck Charlie!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**August 2014**

All she can do is stare at it. The young blonde girl shakes the stick and checks the result again to be sure, but it's useless. All three tests say the same thing. Teddy Duncan tosses the stick into the sink and runs her hands through her hair, tugging a bit at the roots and muttering a string of curse words that would impress a sailor.

What the hell was she supposed to do now?

Her eighteenth birthday was less than a week ago. She was supposed to be leaving for college in a mere matter of weeks. And here she is, going and ruining everything by getting herself pregnant.

It wasn't as if it had been intentional. Of course not. What 18-year-old in their right mind would want to be a mother?

No, she and Spencer were just stupid. They'd gotten caught up in the moment. He didn't have a condom on him, and she didn't care. All she'd known was that she needed him, right then and there, or God, she'd burst.

It was only the one time, and it was almost two months ago. It wasn't their first time together, hell, they'd dated dated for almost two years, but it was their first time since they'd broken up.

Since he left her.

Okay, she knew she was being unfair. After all, what kind of girlfriend would she have been if she has held him back from such an amazing opportunity? The Boston Institute of Performing Arts was one of the best performing arts schools in the country, and it had been an honor for him to be accepted especially early acceptance.

There was no way she could tell him that she was pregnant. It would ruin his life. She knew him, and he'd feel obligated to stay in Denver with her to raise the baby. He'd have to drop out of BIPA and transfer to University of Denver, or worse, DIPA. What a joke that school was.

Then what could she do?

Not abortion. Sure, she was pro-choice, but that didn't mean it was the right choice for her. There was no way that she'd be able to murder her unborn child and then look at her little brother or sister. It would be far too painful for her.

Teddy looks into her reflection and wants to scream, but her baby brother is napping upstairs and the last thing she wants to do is attract attention to herself. She could possibly consider adoption. That way, she might still be able to go to college and have a normal life. But it would have to be an open adoption. And she would want visitation rights.

Who is she kidding? Her life will never be normal again. If she gives it up, she'll always wonder what her life would be like had she kept the baby. And if she did that, Spencer would find out. If she keeps it, she has to be a mother for the rest of her life.

She could always hide the pregnancy for a few weeks and then tell everybody it was Beau's. And it could very well be true, she'd slept with him for the first time last week. But that was wrong. How could she trap Beau with a baby that wasn't even his if she wasn't willing to tell Spencer about it?

And there was no possible way that she could ever date somebody in good conscience if she was pregnant with another man's child.

The pregnant teen gathers her things from the bathroom and trudges downstairs, where she lets her tears flow freely.

As the days go on, it becomes more and more apparent what Teddy must do. Her mother had just been offered a co-anchor position for the hit television show Good Morning Denver and her father was about to open a second Bob's Bugs-Be-Gone. PJ had just recently opened his food truck (and so far, it was highly successful). Gabe was about to be starting high school, Charlie was in pre-school.

It seemed as if everything was beginning to go right for the Duncan's. There was no way that she could mess up everything for her family.

And there was no way that she could go to Yale pregnant.

First, she breaks up with Beau. She was planning to do it before she left for college anyways, but her pregnancy pushed her to do it sooner. He is heartbroken, but understands. He then tells her that he was offered a job in his hometown he was hesitant to take, but he's going to do it, and then he thanks her.

Then, she's go back on her acceptance from Yale. She sends them an email, narrowly missing the cut-off date for getting your money back. She is able to get the money she and her father paid reimbursed. The following week, she receives two checks in the mail. One was her check for the tuition/room and board money that Bob had recently paid, and the other was a federal grant she'd received from the FAFSA she'd filed back in January.

It was easy getting the bank to put the money into her account. She'd been forging her parents' signatured for years, and when the bank called Bob's cell phone, Gabe was there to answer it for Teddy.

He had no idea what she was up to, but he owed her. Back in July, Teddy had caught him and Lauren fooling around on the basement couch and she'd covered for him, knowing that it would be good blackmail material.

A day after the money was placed into her account, Teddy drained her savings. She then drove to a different bank, one she knew her family had never used, and opened an account. This way her family couldn't trace her purchases.

The days ticked by, and Teddy's family grew more and more suspicious of Teddy's behavior. They brushed it off, thinking it was her growing nervous to leave for college. Three days before she was supposed to board her plane for Yale, she left.

It was after midnight on August 19th when Teddy dragged her heavy suitcase up the stairs, careful to make as little noise as possible. She'd borrowed this suitcase from the garage yesterday, all of her luggage being much too small to hold her things. And not only that, but she didn't want to bring multiple bags, because that meant more trips and more chances of being caught. Back in June, Teddy went through her clothes and donated the things she didn't wear to Goodwill, so she didn't have too many clothes to pack. After rolling all of her clothes instead of folding them (a technique Ivy had taught her when they took their trip to Las Vegas, New Mexico earlier in the year), the young pregnant girl was able to fit what she needed in her bag.

The 18-year-old only packed necessities. In her suitcase, she had clothes, her laptop and charger, a bag of toiletries and her video camera.

Teddy grabs a few things from the kitchen that she can snack on as she drives and leaves a note on the kitchen counter. On the note, she places a flash drive that holds a video explanation. She knows that her mother will find it in a few hours when she wakes and comes downstairs to start on breakfast.

Twelve weeks pregnant and with $12,000 on a shiny plastic card, Teddy Duncan leaves her childhood home in tears and doesn't look back.

**What do you guys think? :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to my reviewers! :)**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

The first thing Teddy does after arriving in Las Vegas is check into her hotel room. She is staying at the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, a family-friendly hotel that she was able to book online for cheap; only $50 a night for the next four nights. She suspects that it will take longer for her to find a more permanent place to stay, but she's decided to book her room for more days later if she has to.

After getting her luggage up to her hotel room, it is just after two o'clock in the afternoon. Teddy immediately dials the number for a doctor she'd found on the internet back in Denver that accepts patients without insurance. She makes an appointment for eleven thirty the next day before eagerly snatching up the room service menu from her nightstand. The only thing on the menu is pizza, but her stomach growls at the thought. She knows that the most important thing for her to do right now is make herself a doctor's appointment. After all, she's three months pregnant and still isn't on prenatal vitamins.

"You want pizza, baby?" Teddy whispers as she places a hand on her stomach. It feels weird, but she has to get used to it. This baby is all she has now.

While she waits for her pizza to be delivered, she checks out her room. There is a single king bed pushed against the wall opposite the door with a nightstand beside it. On the nightstand is a lamp and telephone, inside is a phone book and a bible. Beside the door there is a window with the curtains pulled shut and just in front of it is a small circular table with two chairs. Across from the bed is a TV that appears to only be a few years old. There is a small alcove which includes a closet and a few hangers, a counter and sink. Below the counter is a mini fridge and atop it is a small coffee pot, microwave and a hair-dryer. She uses the restroom for what seems to be the thousandth time that day (she had to stop at _every _rest stop in between Denver and Vegas, and even ((embarassingly)) on the side of the road a few times) and then sits on her bed.

She places her hands on her stomach and then tentatively stands and approaches the mirror. Slowly, she raises her loose T-shirt and bites her lip. There is a small, but definite bump. Days ago, she swore there was nothing. But now, she could tell that she was pregnant. It will be easy to hide as long as she doesn't wear too tight of a shirt, but tears still threaten to spill from her eyes at the sight. She knows that other people wouldn't be able to tell just yet, but it was only a matter of time. A knock at the door brings her out of her thoughts and she wipes away a tear before she hurries to the door to answer it.

As she greedily eats her pizza, she allows her mind to wander for the first time since leaving her home. It's been almost 14 hours since she passed the _Now Leaving Denver, CO _sign. Her family _had _to have seen her note and watched the video, or at least noticed her absense.

She wasn't able to check her calls or texts because she'd tossed her cell phone out of the window somewhere back in Utah. The last thing she needed was for somebody to track her via GPS. She makes a mental note to buy herself a new cell phone the next day while she is out. She then proceeds to halfway unpack her suitcase, only taking out the things she'd going to need for the next five days.

She pulls her laptop out of her suitcase and turns it on, logging into the free wifi provided by the hotel. With no time to waste, Teddy begins searching for a cheap apartment with enough room to house her and her child. Without a permanent address, Teddy won't be able to find a job, and her money won't last forever.

She finds a few seemingly nice places. None of them are ideal, but she knows she will have to make it work. She plans to look at apartments on Thursday, knowing that tomorrow she probably won't have the time to because of her doctor's appointment.

Teddy eats four slices of her large pizza before she's satisfied and she places the rest in the mini fridge. She takes a sip of her water bottle and lays back in the hotel bed.

As she lays there, she realizes she's never felt more alone in her entire life. She begins to cry. Softly, at first, then harder. She cries for the loss of her family. She cries for her unborn child. She cries for her stupidity. The vulnerable pregnant girl begins to sob, her entire body shaking, and it only ceases when she falls asleep.

It's nearly nine o'clock when she wakes again. For a brief moment, she's confused by her surroundings. Then, it hits her like a ton of bricks.

She's pregnant. She's alone. She's 750 miles away from her family.

She feels a tightening in her stomach before she bolts out of bed and into the tiny restroom. Kneeling over the toilet, she empties the contents of her stomach and leans her back against the tub when she's finished, placing her hand on her head. She remembers her mother complaining about morning sickness, and she remembers thinking that the older woman was overreacting. Now she sees just how wrong she was.

_Her mother._

It had only been 24 hours since she'd last seen the middle-aged woman, but it felt like days. Teddy already missed her like crazy. She wanted nothing more than to drive home and run into her parents arms, to have them comfort her.

But it couldn't be that way.

Teddy couldn't take it anymore. She _had _to see if they were okay. She climbs up from the cold tile floor and makes her way toward the bed, where her laptop still sits. She logs into her Facebook account, social media being the only way anybody could contact her, only to see…

..._Nothing._

She doesn't have one message or notification. Not one.

She checks her email. Still nothing.

Feeling rejected, she logs into her skype account, a lump in her throat. There's a notification in and she clicks it, feeling some hope.

But it's just a message from Victor from last week that she forgot to respond to.

Maybe they'd had a busy day and they hadn't noticed her absense.

Maybe they were so upset they hadn't tried to contact her yet.

Maybe, she takes a deep breath and licks her lips, holding back tears.

Maybe they don't care that she's gone.

She feels nauseous again, but this time it isn't morning sickness. She _has_ to call. She has to put her fears to rest. They're her family, they love her. Of _course _they care.

She picks up the hotel phone and calls collect, knowing that it won't show caller ID. The phone rings a few times before Teddy hears the familiar click, indicating that her call has been answered. She hears rustling for a few seconds, and then what sounds like muffled arguing.

"Duncan residence," she hears her mother answer cheerily in a sing-song voice. Like she doesn't have a care in the world. "How can I help you?"

Teddy slams the phone down into the receiver and screams, wrapping her arms around her torso.

So they _don't _care.

She wonders if they're _happy_ that she's gone.

She decides at that moment that she's made the right decision. Her family doesn't even _care _that she's gone.

And neither does she. The only thing she cares about is her baby. And she's going to give him or her the best life she possibly can.

**Review? :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**As usual, thanks to my awesome reviewers!**

**Chapter 3**

At five, Teddy is woken up by morning sickness and can't get back to sleep, so she decides to get up for the day. She showers in the small hotel shower and puts on a pair of leggings and an old T-shirt of Spencer's before leaving her hotel room.

By the time she's out to her car, it's a little after six o'clock and the sun is just beginning to peek over the mountains. As she drives, Teddy is amazed by the lights on the strip. She's never seen anything like it before because she'd been in Denver her entire life. She relies on a kind stranger's directions to get her to a Denny's just off of Las Vegas Boulevard, where she enjoys a breakfast of steak, eggs and toast. From there, she finds her way to a Metro PCS cell phone store that isn't opened yet. She sits in her car and pulls out a pad of paper to calculate just how much of her money that she's spent already.

She had to fill up her gas tank three times on her way between Denver and Las Vegas, which added up to around $150. The hotel had costed her $ service was $20. She'd spent $20 on snacks during her drive. She'd just spent $30 including a tip at the Denny's.

She groans aloud, she's already spent nearly $500, and she knows that between the doctor and the cell phone store she's going to have spent even more.

She looks up just in time to see a worker flipping the closed sign to open. She tosses her notebook into the seat beside her and steps into the store, debit card in hand.

"Good morning," a chipper girl in her mid to late twenties smiles, taking a sip of her coffee. "How can I help you today?"

"I need to buy a cell phone," Teddy replies as she steps up to the counter. "I need a smartphone, but I can't spend too much on it. I'm on a budget."

"You've come to the right place! Go ahead and browse through these phones on the display counter and I'll be right over here if you need me."

Teddy smiles and begins to look at the phones. She knows that she'll need a smartphone so that she can find directions and look things up on her own, but she isn't willing to shell out _that _much on a cell phone. She's trying to save as much of her money as possible for her child. After ten minutes of browsing, she decides on a cheap smartphone she sees that has decent features, the ZTE Concord II. The woman helps Teddy set up a plan that will only cost her $40 per month, but they hit a roadblock when the woman asks for an address.

"I don't exactly have one yet," Teddy tells the woman sheepishly. "I should have one later this week, but I'm new to town and I'm staying at a hotel right now."

The woman explains that she has to put some address down, so Teddy reluctantly gives her the address for the Circus Circus, promising that she'll be in to change the address once she finds an apartment.

All in all, it costs Teddy another $200 to get herself the phone and she's out of the store by nine. There's still another three hours until her appointment, so she decides to go ahead and look at one or two of the apartments she saw online the previous night.

She pulls into the parking lot of the Sunchase apartments and parks her car in the "future residents" parking spot. Looking around, she thinks that it's a decent enough place to raise her child in, but she needs to see the inside first. She plans on looking at as little places as possible, and she hopes that she can picture herself and her daughter once she sees the inside of the apartment.

"Hi, how can I help you today?" A man at the front desk asks her.

"I'm interested in moving in, but I wanted to know if I could see and apartment first?"

"Normally miss, you'd have to have an appointment, but since we don't have one booked for another few hours, I'll let it slide this once. Did you want to look at a one of two bedroom?"

"Um, what's the price difference?" She asks tentatively. It would be awesome if she could afford to get a two bedroom, but she knows realistically she may not be able to afford it.

"A junior one bedroom costs $595, a one bedroom one bathroom costs $630, and a two bedroom one bathroom costs $710 per month," he explains.

She goes over the calculations she'd come up with before telling him she'd like to see his one bedroom.

He takes her on a tour that lasts an hour and she decides to put it on her maybe list.

"I have a few more places I want to look at this week," she tells him. "But if I were to decide on this one, how soon could I move in?"

"We have a few vacancies, and I believe maintence is almost finished cleaning out a one bedroom upstairs. It will be ready for move in on Saturday."

"Thank you," she smiles. "I'll be in touch."

She exits the building and walks to her car. She doesn't really like this place, although she does like that there is a washer and dryer in the unit. Overall, she doesn't think that she can raise her child here.

She pulls out her new cell phone and opens Google Maps. She has a half hour to make it to her doctor's appointment. She makes it there with five minutes to spare. The receptionist smiles warmly at Teddy and hands her a stack of papers and a clipboard.

After filling out all of the papers (and being forced to lie about her address once more), Teddy reluctantly pays the receptionist a whopping $170 for the appointment and is sent back to meet her ob/gyn.

She is weighed and her blood pressure is measured by a nurse, then is forced to pee in an uncomfortably small cup before being sent to a room to wait. After what seems like forever, there is a knock at the door and a 5'3" middle aged black woman with a jamaican accent enters the room.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Duncan. I'm Dr. White," the woman reaches to shake Teddy's hand. "It says here that you're pregnant?"

"Yes," Teddy replies, licking her lips. "About 12 weeks, I think. It happened at the end of May. I need prenatal vitamins."

The doctor nods and scribbles some things in Teddy's file. She proceeds to ask her a series of questions, and Teddy feels like her head is going to explode from the amount of information she's receiving. Having helped her mother with her last two pregnancies (she was much too young when Amy was pregnant with Gabe), Teddy thought she knew everything she had to know about being pregnant. Turns out, it's a lot different when you're the one who's pregnant. And Teddy doesn't know anything.

She's forced to shell out another $200 for an ultrasound, but it turns out that even though it's ridiculously over-priced, it's beyond worth it.

When the sound of her baby's heartbeat fills the room, Teddy knows that everything is going to be okay. She knows that she's made the right decision. And she falls even more in love with her child.

She leaves the doctor's office just after one with three pictures, a few pamphlets, a prescription for prenatal vitamins (another $20, which Teddy groans aloud at) and the biggest (albeit tearful) smile she's ever worn.

Teddy drives to a nearby Subway restaurant and orders herself a footlong sub. The doctor told her the importance of healthy eating, especially since she's not on prenatal vitamins yet, and she figures that this is the healthiest she'll get without grocery shopping. She also figures that she can eat half now and the other half for dinner, along with the two leftover pieces of pizza from the previous night.

After this, she drives to Walgreens pharmacy to pick up her prescription. While she waits for them to fill it, she walks around the store with a cart to purchase a few groceries. She buys herself a carton of orange juice, some fruit for breakfast, a gallon of water, some cheese slices and lunch meat, bread and lettuce. She picks up her prenatal vitamins and leaves the store, headed for her temporary home.

**Reviews make the world go 'round c:**

After this, she drives to Walgreens pharmacy to pick up her prescription. While she waits for them to fill it, she walks around the store with a cart to purchase a few groceries. She buys herself a carton of orange juice, some fruit for breakfast, a gallon of water, some cheese slices and lunch meat, bread and lettuce. She picks up her prenatal vitamins and leaves the store, headed for her temporary home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews y'all (:**

**Chapter 4**

Thursday, Teddy wakes feeling completely rested for the first time since she found out she was pregnant. She stretches and yawns as she climbs out of her bed, heading to the bathroom to splash water on her face. She takes her prenatal vitamins with a hotel-provided styrofoam cup filled with orange juice and proceeds to gorge herself on a breakfast of fruit and cheese.

Today is the day she's going to find herself an apartment, no ifs ands or butts. She only has two nights left at this hotel, and she doesn't plan on staying any longer than she needs to. She showers and dresses comfortably in a red sundress and puts on a pair of strappy sandals before putting her hair up in a high bun and placing her favorite pair of sunglasses on her face. She's going to have to do a lot of negotiating today, and she has to at least _look _like she knows what she's doing, even if she has no clue.

The first place she stops at looks nothing like the pictures on the internet. It's dirty, trash blowing freely throughout the apartments with dead grass. There's graffiti on one of the outside walls and an argument between two woman is going on near the office. She doesn't even bother asking to look at an apartment, she'd rather raise her baby in a hotel than this dump.

The next place is slightly better, but the prices are outrageous. For a one bedroom, they're asking more than $700. Teddy looks into it regardless, but she ultimately decides it's not a place she can picture raising a child.

The third place is no better, and by lunchtime Teddy is ready to tear her hair out. She eats two sandwiches she'd made that morning at a park not far away from her next choice for apartments and finishes them off with a thermos full of orange juice before making her way to the next apartment, not looking forward to what was to come.

When she pulled into the parking lot of the Pine Hills Lodge apartments, she wasn't blown away by the scenery. It wasn't over the top, but it wasn't fake, either. The apartments were painted a light green color. There was green grass separated by neat-looking walkways. It looked like a decent enough place to live.

She entered the office and was greeted warmly by the person at the front desk, who got somebody to take her on a tour right away. She's taken to an upstairs apartment at the back of the complex. As soon as she steps inside, she knows it's the one.

It's a simple two-bedroom with one bathroom, nothing special. But she can _see _her life here. She can see herself teaching her son or daughter how to walk and talk in the living room, can see a Christmas tree placed in the corner by the artificial fireplace.

"How much?" She breathes.

"For the two bedroom, one bathroom, it ranges from $525-$575," the man explains to her and he leans against the kitchen counter.

"I'll take it," she smiles.

It takes about an hour for Teddy to fill out the necessary paperwork, and they hit a roadblock when she explains that she doesn't have any credit built up for a credit check, but the man is nice. He ups her rent a bit, for peace of mind since she doesn't have credit, and she has no problem. She'll be paying $600 a month, all utilities covered. The apartment doesn't come with cable or internet, but Teddy figures she can make do without it. The man tells her that apartment 3B will be ready for her to move in by Saturday.

She squeals out loud as she runs to her car. Out of habit, she pulls out her phone to call someone; she just _has _to share the exciting news.

And then she realizes she has nobody to call. Slowly, she places her phone in the passenger seat. She takes a shaky breath, suddenly not so excited about her first apartment, and puts the key in the ignition, backing out of the parking lot.

**I know it's short, but yeah. Next chapter is the Duncan's back in Denver :) Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to everybody who reviewed! I love you guys :)**

**Chapter 5**

Amy Duncan trudges downstairs and slowly makes her way into the kitchen. As she pours herself a cup of coffee, she thinks of her oldest daughter. It had only been a few days since she left, but Amy missed her dearly. She felt as if she had a hole in her heart. She drank her coffee and then made her way down to the basement. She lay down in her daughter's bed and wrapped herself in the blankets, inhaling the scent of her perfume. Tears leaked from her eyes as she begged her daughter to come back out loud.

_**Tuesday**_

Similar to Friday, Amy trudges down the steps in her home to the living room, internally grumbling about having to be awake at this hour. Even though she'd spent the last twenty years getting up this early, she'd never quite gotten used to it. Thankful that her coffee pot turns on by itself, she pours herself a mug full of coffee and gulps it down black, ignoring the burning in her throat. She pours herself another, this time adding a bit of cream and sugar. It's 4 am and she's already looking forward to going to sleep. She feels in her bones that it's going to be a terrible day, and it doesn't help her already fowl mood.

After finishing her third cup, the 40-year-old places her mug in sht sink and turns to head upstairs. Toby usually wakes up around this time, and she doesn't need him waking the whole house. Before she makes it across the kitchen, however, she notices an out-of-place paper on the kitchen counter.

Thinking to herself that it's oddly out of place, she _knows _she cleaned off that counter last night, she makes her way to the counter and grabs it.

_I'm so, so sorry for everything. The video on the flashdrive explains everything. Please know that I love you all. -Teddy_

Amy is confused, to say the least. Instead of marching upstairs to wake her youngest son, she passes that staircase and heads toward her daughter's bedroom in the basement.

"Teddy, honey, what's this about?" Amy asks as she knocks lightly. There is no answer, and she figures her daughter is sleeping, so she slides the door open.

She freezes in place as she glances around the torn-up room. The closet door, which is usually shut tight because of her daughter's irrational fear of "monsters" is wide open and completely stripped of hangers and clothes. Her dresser drawers, which are usually neatly pushed in, are torn out of the dresser and are empty. Her bed, while neatly made, is empty. Her laptop and video camera are missing from her desk.

Amy screams her husband's name as she tears up the steps to the second floor of her house, not caring who she wakes up at this point.

"What's wrong?" He exclaims breathlessly as he throws open their bedroom door. He is still clad in his nightwear, which consists of an old pair of sweats and a T-Shirt Amy had bought him for Christmas last year.

"I-I can't find Teddy," she replies shakily, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What do you mean, you can't find her?" He asks, confused. He begins wiping the sleep from his eyes as the couple's youngest son's cries erupt from his bedroom across the hall. "Isn't she in her room?"

Amy looks back and forth between her husband and her son's open dor as if to decide which is the more pressing issue. She thrusts the note and flashdrive into her husband's hands and he nearly drops them both. She then turns to go into the baby's room. "Her things are gone and she isn't in the room. And I found this on the counter."

She approaches her son's crib and picks him up, rocking him back and forth as she places him on the changing table. He's cranky, and she knows it's because of her own mood, but she can do nothing to fix it at the moment. She changes his diaper and pajamas before carrying him into her bedroom wordlessly. Her husband is is sitting on the bed with a concerned look on his face. He already has his laptop open and is typing his password into it.

"Honey," she whispers. "I'm scared."

"Don't be scared. There has to be an explanation for this," he replies, pulling her and his son in for a hug and kissing her temple.

He clicks on the flash-drive icon and pulls up the video, hovering the mouse over the the paused image of his daughter. He and his wife share a look before he presses play.

_Teddy hits record on the camera and sits down on her bed, sniffling and looking down at her hands. It takes a few moments for her to gather the courage to look into the camera. She wipes her face on her sleeve before she begins._

"_If you guys are watching this, it means that I'm gone, and I've probably been gone for a few hours. I'm so, so sorry to put you through this. I… I did something bad… Something I can't escape from. And I can't bear to drag you guys down with me."_

_Teddy puts her head in her hands for a moment, sobbing before she continues. Why is this so damn _hard _for her?_

"_This is one of the hardest things I'm ever going to have to do. Please understand that me leaving is nobody's fault but my own. And it's unavoidable. I love you all so, _so _much. One day, a few years from now, I might be able to come back, to face you all. But right now that just isn't an option. I'm far too ashamed to look any of you in the eye. So I'm leaving Colorado. Please you guys, if you love me, you won't look for me. I have a plan, and I promise to stay as safe as I possibly can. I can't tell you where I plan to go because I know you'll come looking for me, and I don't want that. I don't want you to look for me. I _don't want to to be found. _I really hope that you all don't hate me for this, and I hope that one day, should our paths cross, you'll have forgiven me. I love you guys. Wish me good luck Charlie, I'm sure as hell going to need it."_

When the video stops, both Duncan's are in tears. Amy lays Toby on the bed in front of her and begins to sob, wrapping her arms around herself. Bob tried his damndest to comfort her, but it's no use when he's so upset himself. Toby seems to pick up on the negative mood of the room and begins to wail as well, not understanding what's going on. The pair hears Charlie's steps down the hall a few moments later, and the young blonde girl enters the room, telling her parents that she's wet the bed.

After taking care of her daughter, Amy calls into work and Bob follows suit, leaving Beau (who isn't set to depart for Tennessee for another two weeks) in charge of the shop. PJ doesn't bother opening up the food truck that day and is at the Duncan's house by eight in the morning.

They show PJ and Gabe the video, forgoing showing Charlie because they know she won't understand, and the two Duncan boys are in tears by the end as well.

"Did anybody know _anything _about this?" Bob asks while he holds his distraught wife. Everybody shakes their heads no and it is silent for a moment before Gabe speaks up.

"She's been acting weird the last few weeks, though," he comments. There is more silence. Then, realization dawns on him. "You may want to contact your bank, dad. She had me pretend to be you last week, authorizing a transfer. I didn't really think much of it. It's _Teddy _for god sakes', she never does anything wrong."

"Gabriel Duncan, how could you do that?" Amy exclaims.

"That's low man, even for you," PJ tells him, patting his back a bit too hard for comfort.

"She was blackmailing me," he told them unapologetically.

"You're grounded for two weeks, but thanks for telling us," Bob responds dryly.

The rest of the day goes similarly. There is a lot of crying and arguing, the family seems divided. Amy and Gabe want to get the police involved, while Bob and PJ argue that she _clearly _didn't want that, and it would be of no use regardless. Teddy is 18, ran away, and made it perfectly clear she doesn't want to be found. The family tries endlessly to call and text Teddy, but everything goes to voicemail and Teddy has her read receipts off, so they don't know if she's seen their efforts to contact her.

They order pizza for dinner because nobody wants to cook, but the only one who actually eats is Charlie. By now, the four-year-old has figured out that something is wrong, but she's too young to make the connection of not seeing her sister, and nobody tells her.

Around ten, the phone rings, and Amy picks it up quickly without hesitation.

"_Collect call from Las Vegas, Nevada. Press one to accept."_

"It's a collect call from Las Vegas," Amy tells them, licking her dry lips.

"Maybe it's Teddy!" Bob exclaims.

"But why would she go to Vegas? There's _nothing _for her there," PJ interjects.

"Well, who else do we know in Las Vegas?" Gabe asks.

"My parents live near Vegas, it's only a short drive, maybe it's them," Amy responds. The operator repeats for her to press one again and she places her thumb over the number, still hesitant.

"Oh, _God,_" Bob groans. "If your parents find out, they'll blame me."

Amy hesitantly presses the _1 _button.

"Mom, you have to answer it before it's too late," Gabe tells her gently.

Amy, unsure of what to do, brings the phone to her ear. She hesitates again, then musters up her best actress voice.

"Duncan residence," she sing-songs, blinking back tears. "How can I help you?"

There is a sharp intake of breath and a click before the dial tone sounds. Amy gets a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knows in her heart it was Teddy, and now her daughter may think that they don't care.

"Who was it?" Bob asks, though he already fears that he knows the answer. He places a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It was Teddy," Amy responds in a whisper, fresh tears pouring from her eyes.

"Dad, we have to find her," Gabe whispers, looking to his parents with bloodshot eyes.

"That may not be an option, Gabe. Not if she doesn't want to be found," he replies quietly.

**Thoughts? :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, look, another update! And this one is actually pretty long :) I originally split it into two chapters, but I decided to combine it.**

**Chapter 6**

Saturday morning comes quickly and before Teddy knows it, she's checking out of the hotel. She is thankful, thinking to herself that if she had to spend another night in that damned hotel room, she might go crazy. Check out is at 9, and by 10am Teddy is pulling into the parking lot of her new apartment.

Once she has her keys, she takes her suitcase upstairs and places it on the closet. She wishes to herself that she'd spent more time looking for a _furnished _apartment, but at this point it's obviously too late.

Teddy had spent Thursday night and the majority of the day Friday on her laptop, switching back and forth between job hunting and researching. She's never lived on her own before (that much is obvious), and she doesn't know exactly how to budget. She learns quickly, knowing it's necessary, especially with a _baby _on the way. While she was researching, she had come across a website called Craigslist. On this website, Teddy found a multitude of people who were giving away furniture and other things for completely free, and she was completely amazed. After finishing up the last of her orange juice and fruit, Teddy leaves her new apartment and heads for a U-Haul company.

Her plan is to spend the day acquiring some furniture to start herself out, so she rents the only truck left on the lot and leaves her car there.

Teddy has written down directions to different place she'd seen online the previous day. At her first stop, a man is just arriving home. She asks him about the couch and he smiles, opening up the garage immediately.

"I moved it out here last night," he tells her. "I got my new furniture delivered and had to make room."

The man helps Teddy carry the green couch into the U-Haul and sends her on her way, thanking her for taking it off his hands. She thanks him graciously, explaining that she wouldn't have the money to get one otherwise.

The second stop for the pregnant girl is less welcoming than the first. A latino woman answers the door with an attitude and points at the coffee table, which is sitting next to the garage, before slamming the door in her face. Luckily, the table is light and while it's difficult, she's able to get it into the U-Haul by herself.

Teddy buys three mismatched lamps at a yard sale not too far away from house number two for $5 a piece before she pulls out her phone to open up the Craigslist page. She sees a new posting from only an hour before and takes off to her fourth destination quickly. From the apartment she arrives at, she acquires two black end-tables and a small bookshelf.

It's one o'clock by now, so Teddy heads over to a Cici's pizza for lunch, albeit reluctantly. She pigs out, eating as much as she can because she may not get to the store to buy dinner and then heads into the Wal-Mart next door.

On her way into the store, her cell phone rings and she jumps, not having heard the tone yet. A Las Vegas area code is shown and she silently prays it's a job opportunity while she slides the icon to the right to answer it.

She has an interview for a company called Apac the following Monday, and she suppresses squealing and dancing around in the Wal-Mart. She thanks the woman and puts her phone back into her pocket before heading for the furniture section in the store.

She purchases a folding table and two chairs, optimistic that she'll make a friend or two, along with a microwave (the cheapest model they have), a blow-up mattress, a set of dishes and some pots and pans. She grabs a cheap set of towels on her way to the register, and in a moment of weakness, purchases a small fan. It's hot as _hell _here in Vegas, and Teddy knows all too well about the hot flashes her mother experienced in all of her pregnancies.

After leaving Wal-Mart, Teddy drives back to her new home. She carries the light things she'd purchased upstairs before she even _thinks _about the heavy things.

She's sweating like a pig and getting absolutely _no-where _with this couch. She thought she'd do that first, since she knows it's the heaviest. When she fails at even getting it out of the moving van by herself, she huffs and sits on the stairs, her head in her hands.

"You look like some help," a voice states a few feet away from her. Teddy screams, nearly falling off the stairs. He laughs and apologizes. "Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you. My name is Shane. Welcome to the neighborhood."

She glances him over for a moment before grabbing his outstretched hand. "Teddy," she replies. Then, she glances over at the couch and back to him and, against her better judgement, states that she could use some help, actually.

"Teddy," he says aloud. "That's pretty."

Shane, a man of no older than twenty, stands a few inches taller than the blonde when she rises from her seat on the staircase. He has a nice build, not scrawny by any means, but definitely not annoyingly buff as if he spends all of his time at the gym. He has bright blue eyes and short, curly brown hair. He has a small amount of facial hair that is cleaned up well, and he wears a T-Shirt and jeans. Teddy is tentative to get help from him, mostly because she literally met him two minutes ago, but right now she's out of options.

"Where are you from?" He asks her as they work together to carry the couch upstairs.

"How do you know I'm not from here?" She challenges.

"For the record, I meant what part of Vegas are you from. But by your reaction, I cans guess that you _aren't _from Vegas," he laughs.

She rolls her eyes at him. "Colorado."

"I went there once when I was a kid and I hated it," They enter the apartment and she instructs him on where to set the couch before they start down the staircase again. "What brings you to Vegas?"

"Just… Needed a change of scenery," she shrugs. He may be nice, but she's not about to tell this stranger her life story.

The pair continues to make small talk as they work together to carry Teddy's new things upstairs. She finds out that he is, in fact, 20, but his birthday is only a few weeks away, and that he's taking business classes and CSN. He's lived in Las Vegas his entire life and he hates it.

"Hey," he begins once they're finished carrying her furniture upstairs. "I know this might seem forward, since we just met, but why don't you join me for dinner tonight at my place? I'm right around the corner." She bites her lip and tries to think of a way to get out of it while still being polite. "Oh come on," he laughs. "You've been moving all day, I doubt you want to go grocery shopping _and _cook tonight. Besides, I don't mean like a date or anything. Just as neighbors."

He flashes her a smile that gives her a tingling feeling in her stomach and she mentally slaps herself.

"No… I don't think so," she responds, avoiding his eye.

"You sure? Em and I are making chicken tacos," he tells her convincingly. Her stomach growls and he laughs. "It's settled then! See you in an hour?""

"Wait, who's "Em?" She asks, confused. Was he not flirting with her? Because that's definitely the vibe she'd been getting for the last 45 minutes.

"Oh, sorry! Em is short for Emily. She's my daughter," he smiles, sounding proud of the fact. Weird. She didn't peg him for "teen father" material.

She has to admit, she's been lonely the last week. And somebody else making dinner does sound nice. _And _there was no way he'd flirt with her with his daughter there, right?

"Fine," she replies with a smile. "I'll be there."

"Great!" He smiles back enthusiastically. "I have to pick up Em from my dad's house, but we'll start cooking right after. Apartment 3C. See you soon."

"See you," she replies.

She locks her front door behind her and makes her way downstairs behind him. He disappears around the corner while she climbs into the moving van and puts it in drive.

Once the truck is returned and she's back at her apartment, she freshens up a bit. She doesn't have time to shower, but she changes out of her shorts and T-shirt and into a pair of leggings and a sparkly tank top.

As she approaches his door moments later, she feels slightly nervous, and she has no clue why this stranger is affecting her the way that he is.

There's no _way _she could have a crush on him. She _just _met him. And besides, no matter how long they've been apart, she still isn't fully over Spencer. She thought Beau would help with that, and she feels guilty that she didn't really like him the way he liked her, but he never did.

Maybe she's nervous because she has no idea who this person is and she's going to his apartment, willingly. He could be an axe murderer or something, after all. She laughs as that thought passes through her mind and pushes it away. She may not know him, but she can tell that he's sweet. She's always been pretty good at reading people.

Maybe she's nervous because she hasn't been around other people in almost a week and she's afraid she might do something stupid. Also, she isn't sure she wants him to know about her pregnancy yet, and her morning sickness could come up at any moment.

Or maybe she's nervous to be around his daughter because leaving her family is still so fresh. What if she's the same age as Charlie?

Timidly, she raises her hand and knocks on his apartment door. She hears noise from inside the apartment and the door swings open, revealing Shane and a girl with matching eyes sitting on his shoulders. A delicious smell wafts from inside his apartment and her stomach growls.

"Hey, Teddy!" He smiles. He lift the little girl, who has hidden her face in his hair, off of his shoulders and places her on the ground before crouching down to her level. "Alright, Em, this is Teddy. She just moved in a few doors away and she doesn't know anybody yet, so daddy invited her to come eat dinner with us. Make sure to be nice to her, okay?"

The young brown-haired girl nods and then whispers in his ear. He laughs. "I'm sure she won't mind if you show her your Barbie house."

Emily's face lights up and she turns to the pregnant girl hopefully. "Want ta see my dollies?"

"Sure," Teddy smiles as the child grabs her hand and leads her into the apartment. Feeling less anxiety about the dinner, she follows the little girl as Shane heads toward the kitchen, presumably to finish cooking.

"Goodnight, Emily," Teddy smiles only a few short hours later. It's a little after 8pm and Shane is putting his daughter to sleep. The blonde girl had _planned _on going home as soon as dinner was finished, but the young girl had insisted that she plays dolls with her again, and Teddy just couldn't say no. Maybe it's because she reminds her so much of Charlie, Teddy doesn't know. But she didn't want to say no to the girl.

"Thanks for playing with her," Shane thanks Teddy after Emily's bedroom door is closed. The 18 year old is seated awkwardly on his couch, her hands in her lap. "She doesn't really have any girls in her life, so it's nice to see her be able to interact with one."

"Where's her mother?" Teddy asks curiously, immediately regretting it when Shane's expression turns cold. When he doesn't reply after a few second, she apologizes.

"No, it's okay. She's… Not in the picture. Neither is my mother, died when I was little. It's just me, Em, my dad and my older brother Embry," he replies, taking a seat beside her on the couch. The room is filled with awkward silence for a few seconds, and Teddy thinks to herself that it might be time for her to leave. Just before she stands, Shane speaks again. "We were only fifteen when she got pregnant. We started dating in September, right after school started, and had sex for the first time over winter break. Emily was conceived on Valentine's day. We were barely freshman when she was pregnant, and sophomores when Emily was born. When we found out, she wanted an abortion. But I didn't. I've always been pro-choice but that… just wasn't for me. I couldn't let her get one. And I'm glad I didn't. So she went through the pregnancy and it was really hard, mostly because of how un-supportive her family was. Things were okay between us for the first few weeks after Em was born, but one day she just dropped her at my house and never came back to get her. She didn't answer the phone, and I stopped seeing her around school. When Emily was three months old, I got some paperwork in the mail that said she was signing away her parental rights. She came back to Clark our junior year, and she graduated with our class. I'm not exactly sure what happened to her after we graduated, honestly."

Teddy is silent for a moment, taking it in. She can't believe that someone she _just _met was willing to share something so personal with her. "How can anybody just abandon their child like that?" She whispers, instinctively placing a hand on her stomach. She's barely three months along and she already can't picture life without the baby growing inside of her.

Shane sighs. "I have no clue. Especially somebody as wonderful as Emily." He's quiet for a moment, then he chuckles. "Sorry for dumping that on you. You wanted to know."

"I _did _ask," she replies, chuckling back.

"I actually don't know why I told you. It's weird, I never want to talk about her, with anybody. Not even my family."

Teddy shrugs, slightly uncomfortable with how close the two are sitting. She checks the time on her cell phone and stands. "I should probably go."

"Wait," he stands as well. "I'll walk you."

"Don't be ridiculous, you can't leave your daughter here," Teddy protests.

He holds up one finger before turning and digging around in a drawer in the end table next to his couch. A few moments later, with a triumphant look on his face, he pulls out two baby monitors. He silently walks into Emily's room and places the receiver on her princess table next to her Cinderella themed bed. He slips the other into his waistband and closes her door quietly behind him. "Problem solved."

"Shane, it's fine, I-" Teddy protests again, trying to think of a valid excuse for him to _not _walk her home.

"No," he insists. "No buts. _I _might be a nice guy, but that doesn't mean that everybody in this neighborhood is a great person. Besides, I'm a gentleman."

"Fine," she sighs, straightening her shirt. The pair leaves his apartment together, pausing for Shane to lock his door behind him.

"Thanks for coming over," he smiles as they walk side by side. He is surprised by how badly he wants to lean over and grab ahold of her hand, but he refrains. After all, they just met.

"Thanks for having me, and for welcoming me, and for helping me move earlier," she replies, walking slowly. "Also, thanks for the tacos. They were delicious."

"Mom's recipe," he replies with a wink. "Found it a couple of years ago when I was going through things in my family's attic."

"Well, they were great."

"I know we just met, but you're really cool. I don't really have a lot of friends our age. I mostly spend time going to school, or working, or hanging out with Emily," he laughs.

"You are, too," she replies honestly. "You're the only friend I've got out here so far."

"It's nice to have friends, especially people that have things in common with you."

"What do you mean?" She replied, confused. What could they possibly have in common? Certainly not something that could've been deciphered in the last six hours, right?

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" He asks her, gesturing down to her bump. Before Teddy can get angry at him for assuming things based on her weight, he speaks again. "I saw the ultrasound photo when I was helping you move earlier. At first I figured, it was a family member's or something, but then I saw the way you reacted when I told you about Emily's mother and I just kind of put two and two together."

"O-oh," she stutters, not sure of how to react. She hadn't exactly told anybody that she was expecting, and now having this conversation was really awkward. "Yeah, I'm pregnant."

"Congratulations," he says sincerely. "If you have a girl, I have tons of Emily's old clothes that I can give you. She's not gonna need them for a while."

"Thanks," she musters a smile. She tries to look on the bright side. At least this saves her from some sort of awkward conversation later on.

"So, we're friends?" He asks.

"I… I thought so?" She replies. "I mean, the way you helped me today, and had me over for dinner and-"

"Cool," he replies. "Friends. It's always nice to make a new friend."

"The feeling is mutual," she smiles, this time sincerely.

"So, since we're friends, it isn't weird for me to ask for your phone number, is it?"

"No." She responds. "Wait, not no. I mean, I don't know my phone number yet."

"New phone?" He laughs.

"Yeah," she responds sheepishly. They've reached the top of her steps by now.

"Take mine, then, and text me yours," he responds, grabbing her phone from her hands. When their fingers touch, Teddy gets goosebumps despite the fact that it over 90 degrees outside, even at night.

"Goodnight, Teddy. It was lovely to make your acquaintance." He grabs a hold of her hand and bends to kiss it.

She laughs, "Night, Shane."

They say their goodbyes and she enters her apartment, feeling hopeful for the first time in a while. She made a friend!

Teddy feels ridiculous getting this excited over a random person, but it's all she has right now. If she was being honest with herself, she'd say that she really liked the way Shane and his daughter were able to distract her from all of the heartache in her life right now. And, since she was on a selfish streak, she's say that she really wants to keep them around for a while.

Teddy changes into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, brushes her teeth and climbs into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

**So... Thoughts? Do you like Shane?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to my lovely reviewers, as usual :)**

**Chapter 7**

Spencer Walsh groans and stretches, his stiff muscles popping as he wipes the sleep from his eyes. He's _always _hated Monday's. He reluctantly climbs out of his warm bed and makes his way out into the dorm room hallway, still clad in his boxers and T-shirt, headed for the bathroom a few doors down. A few of his friends cat-call whistle at him as he passes and he rolls his eyes.

_Dumb asses._ He thinks to himself while the group of males nearly double-over in laughter.

Today is his first day of his sophomore-year classes at BIPA, and he isn't the least bit excited. It has a little something to do with a certain blonde back in Denver (or was she in Connecticut by now?). He shakes her from his thoughts. She's moved on. She's with Beau now. The night they spent together at the beginning of the summer, which Spencer thought could be a reconciliation point for the two, had meant nothing to her.

He was having trouble getting over her, that went without saying. And he couldn't tell if the whole "not being friends with her" thing was helping or not. It was killing him, in all honesty, but seeing her be happy with another guy… That would kill him even more.

At least this pain had provided him with some good writing material. His music professor would be pleased with his latest work, and he hoped that the people from the record label he was auditioning for in December would be pleased as well.

After showering and getting dressed, he checks the time and realizes that he only has twenty minutes to make it all the way across campus to their Starbucks for his morning coffee and then to get to class on time. He is rushing, not quite paying attention to where he's walking, when he meets her.

She seems to be in a rush as well, but when they collide and both fall to the ground, their destinations are forgotten. The girl is gorgeous, probably one of the most beautiful girls he's ever seen. She has long wavy brown hair and the biggest brown eyes he's ever seen. Spencer stands quickly, holding out a hand to help the girl up.

"Thank you," she laughs. "I guess I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Yeah," Spencer laughs back. "Me either."

They look into each others eyes as their nervous laughter dies down. Spencer feels as if his entire world stops. The girl bites her lip and breaks eye contact, crouching down to pick up her things. Spencer mentally slaps himself for not doing the gentlemanly thing and picking up her things earlier. Quickly, he crouches down as well, picking her things up for her before she gets the chance. They both stand back up and their eyes meet once more. Slowly, Spencer hands her back a pile of her things.

"Thanks," she breathes.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm Spencer by the way," he holds out his hand for her to shake and she grabs ahold of it. They both get goosebumps and Spencer gulps. After a few moments of silence, the girl takes her hand from his.

"I-I'm Daisy," she replies nervously. "I'm really sorry I ran into you."

"No, I am," he insists. "It was my fault. I should've been watching where I was going."

"It's okay," she smiles. "I was just trying to find my first class. It's my first day," she tells him sheepishly.

He smiles. "I've been there. What are you looking for?"

"The theatre?" She asks him hopefully. He smiles and points to a building not too far to their left. "Thank you so much!"

They stand in awkward silence for a beat, then Daisy turns to leave. "It was nice meeting you," she mumbles awkwardly.

"You too," he responds quietly.  
>Spencer stares after her for a moment in a daze. He wants to call after her, but he thinks of Teddy and frowns. What would the blonde think? Then he remembers, she has a boyfriend. She's moved on. And he deserves to as well.<p>

"Wait!" He calls after the brunette. She turns around with a hopeful expression.

"Yes?" She asks.

"I know this is forward, but you're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen," he tells her as he catches up with where she is now standing. She blushes and looks down to her feet. "I was wondering if you'd like to get coffee with me sometime?"

"I-uh," she gulps, looking to her feet. Then she mumbles, barely audible. "Thank you. I'd love to get coffee."

"Great," Spencer smiles widely. "Do you have class this afternoon?"

"Only one, I'll be out by 1:30," she replies, still not looking him in the eye. Spencer can't help but smile at how shy she is. It's kind of cute, in all honesty.

"Awesome. I get out of class at one, and I don't have another until 3," he tells her. "Will you meet me at the Starbucks by the film building after you get out of class?"

"Sure," she smiles.

"Great," he smiles back. "Enjoy your first day, Daisy. BIPA is a great school. I'll see you later?"

"See you later," she says back before hurrying into the building.

Spencer checks his watch and realizes that he only has five minutes to get to his first class of the day: English 130. He has to skip his coffee for this morning, but something tells him it was worth it.

Later that day, he decides to go check his mail before heading to Starbucks to meet Daisy. He enters the mailroom with a key in his hand and searches for the W section. Once he finds it, he searches for his name. It takes him a few minutes, but he finds it. He enters the key into the hole and turns it. The door unlocks and swings open. Spencer reaches inside and pulls out the few things inside of it. He locks it back up an heads out of the building as he flips through.

There's the usual: a couple of letters from his parents (his mother writes him _every day_) and a program for the Boston Performing Arts Center, showing him their upcoming musicals. There is a Game Informer magazine, which Spencer smiles widely at. He may be a music major, but he still loves his video games.

Lastly, there is a small envelope with no return address. Curiously, he tears it open and grabs what's inside. It's an ultrasound photo with the words "12 Weeks" printed at the top. That's it. No name, no other information. Weirded out, he shoves the photo, along with the rest of his mail, into his jacket pocket.

He hurries across campus, eager to meet his date and hoping he arrives earlier than she does. He's surprised by how excited he is to have coffee with her. He hasn't been this anxious to see a girl since he and Teddy started dating, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss this feeling.

Despite his obvious enthusiasm as meeting the cute brunette he'd helped that morning, he still finds his mind wandering to his ex-girlfriend. He wonders what she's doing at this exact moment, and briefly hopes she's thinking of him as well.

He gets to Starbucks and finds a seat in the corner, waiting for Daisy to arrive so they can order. He plans on paying for hers, naturally, and it would just seem weird if he already had his drink and then he went to pay for hers as well.

She arrives five minutes later, looking flustered. "Sorry I'm late! I had trouble finding the place!"

Spencer laughs, forgetting all about his previous thoughts. "Don't worry about it. I know the campus is confusing at first, but you'll get the hang of it, I promise."

"Thanks," she smiles. Spencer feels fluttering in his stomach when the corners of her lips turn. Again, he is surprised by this. The only person he's ever met that was able to give him butterflies was his ex.

They approach the counter and Spencer smoothly tells the barista his order; a venti vanilla iced coffee, before turning to Daisy and asking for hers. She tells the barista what she wants and reaches for her bag to pay.

Spencer holds up a hand. "Don't worry about it, I've got this."

"No, really, it's okay," she protests, but he just smiles and hands the barista his debit card. Defeated, she places her wallet back into her purse.

The two brunettes make their way to the chairs in the corner and take a seat in silence, waiting for their drinks to be called.

"So, Daisy," Spencer begins, making conversation. "Tell me about yourself."

"M-Me?" She stammers and he nods. "Well, there's not much to tell, really. My name is Daisy Blue Carter, I'm 18 and I'm from Colorado. I'm a theatre major… I love to perform."

Spencer can't help but smile at the way her face lights up at the mention of theatre. "I'm from Colorado, too! Denver born and raised. What part are you from?"

"Boulder," she replies. "Also born and raised."

"Small world!" Spencer laughs. "Well, I'm Spencer. I turned nineteen back in February and I'm a sophomore, a music major."

"That's so cool!" She responds with a smile. The barista calls out their names and she stands to get them before Spencer has the chance. If he can be a gentleman, then she can definitely act like a lady.

The couple talks for almost an hour before Spencer realizes the time. He's surprised by how easily Daisy made him forget about Teddy, and by how comfortable he is around her. He feels sad when he has to leave, and he hopes that he can see this girl again soon. He asks her for her phone number shyly and she eagerly gives it to him, and he then returns the favor.

He texts her almost immediately after she leaves his sight, and she responds within two minutes. They text back and forth like this for days, and Spencer's heartache over the Duncan girl he'd loved so much slowly begins to lessen.

**Review? :D**


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